SMART LIGHTING
control of our production , we not only deliver very good quality and a multi-award-winning design . We are constantly making LEDs smarter , squeezing the technology one twist further ,” Modular LED lens technology is just one WE-EF field of expertise . The individual lamps are “ factory sealed ”; in other words , they cannot be opened by the customer . At the beginning , this was not met with great enthusiasm , but today there is no alternative . This is the only way that the plug and play technology of modern outdoor luminaires can be realized . “ And complaints , which would be due to incorrect installation of the lights , hardly ever occur nowadays .”
Electronics from mast to lamp In addition to the ballast , WE-EF also integrates a communication module for data transmission of the integrated sensors into its new street lights . “ For a project in Bielefeld , we completely redesigned the so-called assembly controller ,” explains Oetjens . “ The electronics should not be mounted on the mast , but directly in the lightshade .“ Since autumn 2019 , this combination of LED lighting , ballast , sensor technology , and GPS communication module has been providing demandoriented illumination for the footpath between the municipal theatre and the Brunnenstraße multi-story parking lot . From a height of six meters , the sensors register movement
on the ground , and the respective lightshades regulate their light intensity . Thanks to the data acquired in the system , this results in better visibility , reduced energy consumption , and lower maintenance costs thanks to data collected in the system .
The WE-EF designers used the QPD fast installation system from Phoenix Contact for the lighting power cabling . The advantage of the user-friendly principle is that with the proven QUICKON IDC fast connection , the installers can connect the cables on-site without any preparation work or special tools . Also smart in terms of handling .
For Peter Oetjens , however , demand-based lighting control is just the beginning of intelligent lighting . “ Other companies can produce hardware too . But for us , the potential lies above all in the range of functions and service ,” says the 53-year-old . “ My vision ? I would like all of our lights to be intelligent and network-capable .”
Bright lights in a smart city “ And we are now thinking far beyond pure hardware .” The graduate production engineer and head of the laboratory for electrical engineering allows us to take a peak at the design department . “ We entered the field of smart lighting and connectivity a long time ago . In the future , all our lights will
WE-EF not only manufactures electronics , but also the aluminum castings themselves
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